Fuel-regulating device.



G. E. LEE.

FUEL REGULATING DEVICE.

APPLlcAloN FILED FEB. 19. 1914.

Patented June 5, 1917.

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GEORGE E. LEE, OE CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO 'II-IE GEORGE E. LEE COMPANY, OF

CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FUEL-REGULATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1917.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. LEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fuel-Regulating Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

This invention relates to controlling devices which are more particularly adapted to control the flow of a fluid fuelto a burner.

The device herein described nds particular utility as a regulator for controlling the supply of fuel to a burner, which controls the melting of metal to be supplied to the melting pot of a linotype machine.

Generally speaking, the invention comprises the elements and combinations thereof set forth in the accompanying claims.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a controlling device shown in its relation to the melting pot and auxiliary melting cup of a linotype machine. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a modified form of valve forthe controlling device; and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of still another modification of the valve for the controlling device.

In the drawing, 1 represents a portion of the melting pot 0f a linotype machine, and at 2 there is indicated a bracket forming a part of the usual construction of a linotype machine, by which the melting pot is supported.

Above the melting pot there is an auxiliary melting cup indicated at 8, and within this cup there stands an ingot 4i of metal. The cup is provided with an opening 3@L adjacent the lower portion thereof, by which the metal that. may be melted from the ingot 4c, will find egress from the cup 3, and drop into the bath of metal within the melting pot 1.

The cup 3 is supported upon a suitable arm 5, which in turn is supported by a bracket 6 carried upon some fixed part 7 of the linotype machine.

Suitably mounted so as to be 'beneath the melting cup 3 is a burner 8. This burner may be of any desired construction. The pipe for supplying the fuel gas to the burner, is indicated at 9, and there is a pilot pipe 10 which will always remain lighted, the same being adjacent the burner 8. The regular supply of gas to the burner 8 is supplied through the controlling device which forms the subject matter of this invention.

The controlling device comprises a tubular member 11 which is slightly conical in shape, or in other words, the wall or walls are slanting,-is suitably supported wgith respect to the melting pot so that the lower end of this tubular member is immersed in the molten metal within the pot 1. At its upper end, the tubular member 11 is connected with acasing 12, having an extending portion 13, and a central partition 14: which divides the extending portion 13.

Within the casing 12 and extending into the tubular member 11 is a pipe or conduit 15which at its upper end is supported preferably by` a screw threaded plug 16, that engages with a screw threaded opening in a cap, 17, which forms a closure for the upper part of the casing 12. This cap 17 is suitably packed so that no gas may escape. Adjustment of the plug 16 will raise Vor lower the tube 15 so as to alter its position with respect to the level of fluid metal in the melting pot 1. The tube 15 at its upper end is provided with openings, such as indicated at 18, by which gaseous fuel supplied to the upper part of the casing 12 will be permitted to pass into the interior of the tube 15.

At the lower end of the tube 15, there is mounted a valve structure which comprises a float 19. This ioat at its 'lower end is somewhat pointed and by this construction together with the outwardly slanting inner surface of the tubular member 11, it is impossible for the dross which is always present on the surface of the metal of the melting pot, to wedge in between' the float 19 and the wall of the tubular member 11, and so prevent operation of the valve at proper times.

A portion of the float 19 is hollow, and receives the lower end of the pipe or tube 15. Altransverse bar 20 is carried by the tube 15 and extends adjacent its outer end through openings 19a. in the float 19. These openings 19a are of sufficient size to permit a slight amount of play for the purpose directly to be mentioned. l

The bottom surface of the interior portion of the float 19 is cone-shaped, and resting upon the same is a ball 21. This ball is adapted to cooperate with the lower end of tube 15, and when so coperating prevents the passage of gaseous fuel through the tube 15. The lower portion of the tube-15 is suitably ground and prepared so that the ball when engaging the same may make a gastight t.

As before mentioned, the openings 19a areof suflicent size to permit slight relative movement betweeny the float 19 and the bar 20, and this movement is just sufiicient to permit the vball to seat itself against` the lower end of tube 15. 1t will be apparent that the particular formation of the bottom surface inside of the float 19 will alwaysin sure the valve being in proper position to engage with the lower end of tube 15.

Fluid fuel from thepipe 9 is suppliedv to the upper partof casing 12 by means of a suitable connection 22, and the fuel passing from the lower portion of the casing 12 is conducted by a fiexible connection 23 to the burner 8;

, The operation of the devicel is as follows:

Gaseousfuel is supplied to the pipe 9.and connection 22, with the upper part of the casing 12. The gas then passes through the opening 18 into the interior of the pipe or Atube 15, and when the bell 21 is not seated against pipe 15, the gas may flow from the tube 15 through the float 19, and to the lower'part of the casing 12, thence through the connection 23 to the burner 8.

Underfsuch conditions, the heatv from the burner 8 will melt the ingot 4 within the cup 3, and permit the metal so melted to drop into the molten pot of metal within the pot 1. The metal thus supplied will raise the level of the metal within the pot 1 and when this level has raised a suflicient distance, the fioat 19 will be raised and cause the ball 2 1 to seat against the lower end ofv pipe 15, thus shutting off the supply of gas, and consequently the ingot 4 will cease to be melted.

, As before stated, the relationship of tube 15 and float 19 to the metal within the pot 1 may be varied byl adjusting the plug 16.

Inv Fig,k 2 there is shown a modified form of. float coperating with theV tube 15. As herein shown, the fioat comprises a body portion 24 which is substantially hollow. The lower outside portion of the float is pointed or rounded in a manner similar to the fioat 19.

At the upper portion of the float 24 there is a plug 25, which may have a screw- Y threaded; engagement with the walls o-f the float 24, or may be otherwise suitably se cured. This plug-is providedfwith openings 2521 by which the fuel gas may` escape, and is also provided with a sleeve 25b which extends above and below the body of the plug. This sleeve engages with the pipe 15 to have a sliding fit, so that the oat 24 may rise andy fall-with respect` tothe pipe 15 and be guided in its movement by the engagement between the sleeve 25b and the pipe.

In the lowerpart of the interior portion of the float 24, there is placed a soft compressible material such as asbestos, the same being indicated at 26. The operation will be apparent, viz. that the float 24 as it rises will cause the pipe 15 to be embedded in the material 26, which being compressed will eventually prevent the passage of fluid gas past the lower end of the pipe 15. To provide an eicient cuto, the lower end of the pipe 15 is brought to anr edge, in order that it may more easily form a gas tight joint with the material 26.

In Fig. 3 there is shown still a further modified form.

Coperating with the lower endy of the pipe 15 is a float 27 which is of substantially the same construction as faias the body is concerned, as thefloat 24.. At the upper-end of theV float, there are two wire arms, indicated at 28v and 29. These arms are provided with loops which encircle the pipe 15 and the loops are spaced apart upon this pipe ay suflicient distancer to insure accurate guiding of the float 27, as it rises and falls.

The interior of the float is partially filled with mercury, as indicated at 30, and. it will be apparent that as the float is caused to rise with respect to the pipe 15, the pipe will have its lower end immersed withinV the mercury 30 and so seal the end ofthe pipe 15 against the passage of gas therethrough.

1t will be clear thaty various modifications in the details of. the constructions herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I) claim is:

1. The combination of a melting pot and an auxiliary melting cup discharging into the same, a burner for heating the auxiliary melting cup, a fuel supply conduit' to said burner, said conduit extending into the melting pot` and having anfopening, a valve controlling said opening, said valve being moved to open and closed position by the metal in said pot, as it rises and falls.

2. In combination, a melting pot, an auxiliary melting cup discharging into the same, a burner for heating the latter, a fuel supply conduit t0 said burner, said conduit extending into the melting pot and having an opening, a float coperating with said openingand having valvular means adapted to open and close the-said opening as the fioat rises and falls bythe change in level of the molten metal.

3. The combination with av receptacle adapted. to hold melted material, of an auxiliary melting cup, adapted to hold material in solid form, a burner for heating the melting cup, a regulating device provided with two chambers, means for leading fuel from one of said chambers, and means for conducting fuel to theother of said chambers to the burner, a conduit extending from the rst mentioned chamber and extending adjacent the surface of the melted material Within the receptacle, a float member floating upon the surface of the material within the receptacle, cooperating valvular means carried by the ioat and said conduit for opening and closing the end of said conduit, as the float meinber risesl and falls by the change in level of the material Within the receptacle.

il. The combination with a receptacle adapted to hold melted material, of an auxiliary melting cup adapted to hold said material in solid form, a burner for heating the melting cup, a connection for supplying fuel to said burner, a regulating device inserted in said connection, said regulating device comprising an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, a fuel conduit extending from the inlet chamber into the outlet chamber and adjacent the surface of the molten material within the said receptacle, a float resting upon the material within said receptacle, said float having a portion which surrounds the lower end of the conduit, coperating means upon said conduit and float for guiding the float as it moves relative to the conduit, and valvular means associated with the float and conduit for causing the end of said conduit to be opened and closed by the rise and fall of the float, due to changes in level of the melted material within the receptacle.

5. The combination with a receptacle adapted to hold melted material, of an auxiliary melting cup adapted to hold said material in solid form, a burner for heating the melting cup, a regulating device comprising a body portion formed with an inlet chamber and an exit chamber, means for conducting fuel to said inlet chamber, and means for conducting the fuel from the outlet chamber to the burner, said body portion at one end extending below the level of the melted material within the receptacle, the walls of this portion of the body slanting outwardly, a conduit connecting the inlet chamber with the outlet chamber, a float member floating on the surface of the melted material, said ioat member having the lower outward body portion tapered, and valvular means cooperating with the lioat and conduit for opening and closing the end of said conduit as the float rises and falls by the change in level of the melted material.

6. In combination, a melting pot, an auxiliary melting cup discharging into the same, a burner for heating the latter, a fuel supply conduit to said burner, said conduit extending into the melting pot and having an opening, a float, a ball valve carried by the float and adapted to coperate with the opening in the conduit to open and close said opening as the float falls and rises by the change in level of the molten metal.

7. In combination, a melting pot, an auxiliary melting cup discharging into the same, a burner for heating the latter, a fuel supply conduit to vsaid burner, said conduit extending into the melting pot and having an opening, a float having an interior opening which telescopes the lower part of the con-v duit, a ball valve within the opening in the float, said ball valve being adapted to coperate with the opening in the conduit to close and open the same as the float rises and falls by the changes in level of the molten metal.

8. The combination with a receptacle adapted to hold melted material, of an auxiliary melting cup adapted to hold material in solid form, a burner for heating the said melting cup, a regulating device provided with two chambers, means for conducting fuel to one of said chambers, means for conducting fuel from one of the chambers to the other, means for conducting fuel from the other of said chambers to the burner, valvular mechanism governing the passage of fuel between the said'chambers said valvular mechanism being directly engaged by the melted material in the aforesaid recep tacle and operated by the rise and fall of the molten material within said receptacle.

9. The combination with a receptacle adapted to hold melted material, of an auxiliaryv melting cup adapted to hold material in solid form, a burner for heating the melting cup, a regulating device provided with an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, the outlet chamber being sealed by the melted material in the receptacle, means for conducting fuel to the inlet chamber, means for conducting fuel from the outlet chamber, valvular mechanism governing the passage of fuel between the chambers said valve being operated by the rise and fall of molten material within said receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. LEE.

Witnesses:

A. J. HUDSON, L. I. PORTER.

Copies of this patent may.be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

